a prayer

Ephesians 3:17-19
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lords holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled with the fullness of God.

new level of productivity

If you're checking in today I would like to first welcome you back after a week of.. well.. nothing, and second I'd like to say I'm not sorry about it. Had I been posting daily activities and thoughts, you would have been getting a lot of this everyday:

 

Shots of my lounging-around buddy and enormous amounts of watermelon consumed.

I like to look at it as though I spared you from the monotony. You're welcome.

 Now, onto a regular post.

1. I was making an exchange at Victoria's Secret, rummaging around in a drawer for the correct color, when a sales lady sweetly explains to a young teenage girl and her mother behind me where to find different bra sizes. When the girl tells the sales lady her size, she points her to the correct drawer (the same one I'm currently making a mess out of), and the girl's mom says "poor thing, she hasn't gotten any bigger yet". I'm sorry ma'am, but that's my size, too. Not sure why she has such high hopes for her daughter's bust.

2. Skype. Travis and I have been Skyping almost every night, and I will never get used to seeing myself in that little webcam. 

1. Rae-Anne and Lara Beth threw me a beautiful honeymoon shower last weekend. I couldn't have asked for a more thoughtful gesture or a better time spent with friends. 

2. Yesterday I took a loot of wedding gifts up to our new apartment and was able to be there when Travis walked in from work. I missed that boy so much. We got a yummy Memphis BBQ meal together before I headed back home. I hope the next 9 days pass very quickly until I see him again.

3. One of my best friends is getting married this weekend! (you can find her over at keen sense of kenne) And to top off the excitement of her wedding week, she and her future mister closed a deal on a house on Tuesday- the same day she found out she got a job. How perfect and exciting for both of them. I can't wait to celebrate this weekend!

4.  In a measly 30 days I will be forever bound with the rest of my heart. I am truly blessed.

Let Go

Here I am to welcome Friday morning. These early hours are so quiet, it's easy for my thoughts to drift toward my other half. He's a mere 102 miles from me at this very moment, but it feels like a lifetime away. 

Thirty six days from now I will be sleeping (or not sleeping) in this very bed on my last night as an unmarried girl. Calling myself a woman is scary, but I suppose that's what I am. A woman at the beginning of the next phase of her life, wholly and completely reliant on her God despite the world's insistence that she prepare for the future herself, "just in case".  

I've been praying so hard lately to have the faith it takes to put every ounce of trust I have in Him. To not just "know" he will take care of me, but live my life in such a way that leaves no room for doubt. If I truly trust him to take care of my tomorrows, I must not make plans for them. After all, they may never come. I must give all I have and all I am to today. And let me tell you, that's a scary thought. To store up things for myself, even for my family, in the future, is to say "God, I think you'll take care of us when the time comes, but just in case...". That also hinders me from taking what I am given today and giving it back to his kingdom. We are called to not worry about tomorrow. I worry about what will happen when I retire at 65-70, so to forget everything after the end of today is very challenging.

It's a very personal decision to make as far as what amount of preparation you might consider to be a lack of faith. However, I challenge you to step back and evaluate your decisions. Are there things you are saving for later, things you are storing up for yourself so that when the time comes, you will be taken care of? Let me just say, insurance companies and 401Ks are worthless when compared to what God can do when you trust in Him and only Him to take care of you. 

Now here comes the hard part: letting go.

Luke 12: 13-34

The Parable of the Rich Fool

¹³ Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
¹⁴ Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” ¹⁵ Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
¹⁶ And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. ¹⁷ He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’
¹⁸ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. ¹⁹ And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’
²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’
²¹ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

Do Not Worry

²² Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! ²⁵ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life^[b]? ²⁶ Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
²⁷ “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ²⁸ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! ²⁹ And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. ³⁰ For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. ³¹ But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
³² “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

long time, no post

I've been a busy bee the last several days. 

I wound up my week by training two wonderful girls to take over my position in the office. I have faith that my trusty highlighter is in good hands. 

Friday I moved home. For good. As in I don't live in Starkville anymore. How strange! Of course, I will be going back at some point due to the fact that my stereotypical girl packing issues resulted in one last pile of stuff that wouldn't quite fit in my car. And at the moment I am living out of storage tubs and crammed-full old boxes we picked up for the move. But I must say, it is nice being home.

A close friend of mine tied the knot on Saturday. I wish I had taken a picture to share with you, Kristen was an absolutely stunning bride. Today she is somewhere in the Caribbean, having a blast I'm sure. 

Wedding festivities continued yesterday as Travis and I had a premarital counseling session with the minister, then with a bridal tea hosted by my home church. Think we got enough stuff?

We are so grateful to the ladies who hosted such a lovely shower, and I loved being able to see everyone from my hometown. It wasn't long after we loaded up to come home that Travis left to go to Southaven. It may take some time to get used to that being home, especially since I won't join him for six more weeks. But he got settled in and prepared for his first day of work. He got off a few minutes ago and I'm anxiously awaiting a call about his first day.

I've spent most of the day hunkered down with this little guy making calls and checking things off my to-do list. I got a lot done and I loved the company. 

Here's to a week full of good morning snuggles and home-cooked dinners.

Have a great week!



oh yeah... 40 days